Notebook: Wizards 90, Bulls 86

Posted Apr 3, 2013&nbsp12:00 AM

Benjamin Standig, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: John Wall scored 27 points and Emeka Okafor's dunk with 45 seconds left put the Wizards up for good as Washington won its eighth straight home game with a 90-86 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

Wall stuffed the stat sheet with nine assists, eight rebounds and three blocks while sinking 11 of 13 free throw attempts. A.J. Price scored 13 points while Okafor, Nene and Trevor Ariza all had 10 as Washington (28-46) took the lead for the first time late in the third quarter.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and bscored 17 for the Bulls. Chicago trailed 83-82 with 3:59 remaining when the referees called center Nazr Mohammed for basket interference on Kirk Hinrich's running bank shot. Hinrich squawked at the call and received consecutive technical fouls and the subsequent ejection.

Wall hit one of the two free throws putting the Wizards ahead 84-82, but Mohammed's jump hook tied the game at 86-86 with 56 seconds remaining, The Wizards jumped in front for good as Nene drove inside and fed Okafor for the score. Ariza made two free throws with eight seconds to play.

The Wizards trail the Bucks by nine games in the loss column, but Milwaukee only has nine games left on its schedule.

QUOTABLE: "As funny as you might think it is, we're not eliminated yet. Stranger things have happened. Has anybody hit the lotto in here yet? Let's go buy some tickets. You don't know. We're not eliminated."

-- Wizards coach Randy Wittman on his team still being technically alive for a playoff berth

THE STAT: Neither team could score early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls missed more over the final 12 minutes and throughout the game. Chicago was 7-for-22 in the final period and 39.3 percent overall.

QUOTABLE II: "The shooting part of it, there are going to be nights in which you don't shoot it as well as some other nights. Discipline defensively, you're in control of that. ...That's what we have to be able to count on."

HOT: With Bradley Beal's left ankle sprain flaring up, Wittman turned to reserve guard Price for the entire fourth quarter. Wall's backup played a starring role by scoring eight points including back-to-back 3-pointers.

NOT:Luol Deng scored 13 points and started the game 4-for-5 from the field. The Bulls' small forward ended it by missing nine of his last 10 attempts.

QUOTABLE III: "Just to know where we came from to start the season to where we are now, we have a lot of pride in ourselves. We want to close the season strong. This is the most wins I've had since I've been here. It feels great."

-- Wall on Washington's improvement after starting the season with a 4-28 record

NOTABLE: Jimmy Butler scored 13 points and Mohammed had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls. ... Taj Gibson left the game in the first half with a left knee injury and did not return. He will have an MRI on Wednesday. The Bulls were already without Marco Belinelli (abdominal strain), Richard Hamilton (lower back), Joakim Noah (right foot) and Derrick Rose (left knee). ...The Wizards lead the season series 2-1. ... Ariza surpassed 5,000 points for his career. ... Chicago scored a season-low two fast-break points.